I think of myself as a member of a living musical tradition.
I haven't consciously tried to assimlate anything. I just try to do my tradition justice.
That said, I honor tradition by continuing it and acknowledging it.
I never slavishly imitate my sources but I always acknowledge them. Sometime apologetically as in "this tune comes from Maggie Hammons Parker although I doubt she'd recognize it." Such an introduction also comes from my tradition.
I always ask people where they got their material.
When somebody learns a tune from me I tell them to be sure to give me and my source as their source. It's probably the only immortality we'll get.